Contracts and Making Sales Easier - Part 4

One of the challenges that arise when putting together a contract is deciding how much to future-proof it – i.e. how much to cater for hypotheticals.

The normal world carries on as before but below the surface, in the alternate dimension of the Upside Down, there is a world of horror and evil.

A number of companies have their own Upside Down – their sales contracts. On the surface these companies are open, friendly, modern, and customer centric. Their websites are stylish and expensively designed. You can tell they really going to care about you, the Customer. I mean, they even have a function (with real people!) called Customer Success!

And then you get their standard contract. OMG, you’ve stepped into the Upside Down. Customer centric? Don’t make me laugh. Open, fair, skin in the game – not if they can help it. Language that’s easy to understand? No, they don’t like commas – Oxford or otherwise. SECTIONS ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS WHEN THE RESEARCH CLEARLY SHOWS THAT READERS FIND INFORMATION EASIER TO ABSORB WHEN IT IS IN LOWER CASE. Sorry, we have always done it this way. A recognition that good graphic design helps communication? Of course not, what’s wrong with a typewriter font from the 1980s? And so on. (American contracts are by far the worst).

I just don’t get it. Is it the law department that hasn’t read the memo, and has decided to declare independence? Or is it the business leaders who think that Legal is just different and that the normal rules don’t apply? It’s a mystery.

But the key point is this.

Do you want my business?

Then why are you making it so hard?